Various sprayable cookware release compositions have been developed to prevent cooking surfaces, utensils or other cooking implements from sticking to food items. For example, one conventional cooking spray includes a canola oil that is mixed with a release agent. The oil that is used in conventional cooking sprays is typically an unsaturated oil that can contain significant quantities of unsaturated fatty acids, e.g., 85% or more by weight. The edible oil is used as a carrier medium, and a phospholipid functions as an anti-stick or release agent. The mixture of the oil and the release agent is dispensed by a propellant from an aerosol container, such as a gas or liquefied hydrocarbon pressurized container, or from a pump pressurized aerosol container. Other conventional cookware release compositions are in the form of a solid stick form of a lecithin. Conventional cooking sprays and anti-stick compositions, however, have a number of shortcomings.
Initially, conventional cooking sprays or compositions usually polymerize at typical cooking temperatures and durations. As a result of polymerization, sticky or viscous film-like sections are formed on the cooking wares. The polymerized composition can be difficult to remove from cooking surfaces or utensils with detergent and water.
The food item can also stick to the polymerized composition and, consequently, damage or impair the quality or appearance of the food item. Further, cooking surfaces or utensils with polymerized composition baked thereon can be difficult to clean, thereby requiring a user to spend additional time and effort cleaning the cooking surface to remove (or attempt to remove) the film. This problem can occur with both uncoated and coated surfaces. Moreover, if a coated surface, such as a Teflon® surface, is cleaned, repeated scrubbing of the coated cooking surface to remove the film can remove or scratch the Teflon® coating, thereby damaging or impairing the coated cookware. These shortcomings of conventional cooking sprays are amplified when food is cooked at higher temperatures or for longer periods of time since the degree of polymerization typically increases with higher temperature and longer cooking times.
In an attempt to address various shortcomings of conventional cooking sprays, users can reduce polymerization of the cooking spray by cooking at lower temperatures or for shorter periods of time. These options, however, place restrictions on the cooking of food using conventional cooking sprays and can present a number of health hazards due to undercooked food. Consequently, the taste and quality of the cooked food item can be impaired compared to cooking the food item at typical higher temperatures.
Further, highly unsaturated oils typically used in conventional compositions are prone to oxidation, which can add an undesirable taste to the food item being prepared. The shelf life of a sprayable cookware composition can also be improved since conventional cooking sprays using highly unsaturated oil typically have a short shelf life.
A need, therefore, exists for a sprayable cookware composition or cooking spray that eliminates or reduces polymerization by increasing the temperature at which a cooking spray begins to polymerize, delaying the time at which polymerization begins, or a combination thereof. Reducing polymerization at typical cooking temperatures and durations can prevent or reduce the polymerized film or viscous layer from forming on the cookware surface or utensil, simplify cleaning of cookware and utensils, reduce or eliminate unpleasant tastes penetrating into food items, enable users to cook food at higher temperatures or for longer periods of time, and provide a cooking spray that can be stored for longer periods of time compared to conventional cooking sprays, while still being dispensable from an aerosol container. A further need exists for a method of preparing a food item with such a composition or cooking spray.